Friday, March 2, 2012
• 9:22 AM •

How to be a S.N.O.B.

Being stylish is something everyone can benefit from. You can be proud of your intelligence, who you are as a person or your general success, but why should that come in the way of dressing well (and thus looking good!). If you’re an awesome person, then embrace it and let it show – in every aspect!

Below is a checklist of the S.N.O.B. styling laws – “laws” because they are pretty fundamental. These guidelines will enhance your styling skills to help you build a better ensemble that will bring out your best features while adding a little oomph. Styling is an art, the clothing and accessories are the art supplies, and you are the blank canvas. As cheesy as that analogy sounds, it perfectly describes the dynamic of styling and its relevance to you!

Be true to yourself and your sense of style. Not every trend is for everybody. A trend won’t always mesh well with your look your body shape. Wearing something just for the sake of being trendy can make you look and feel awkward.

Make your favorite asset stand outBe wary of double-slutting it, that is, to emphasize/expose two sexy areas like your chest and legs at the same time. It can easily be misconstrued as begging for attention. S.N.O.B.’s do not beg for attention. Attention comes to you. Skin Exposure:– Chest: If your twins can couple up to create a cleavage line, you probably have a larger bust. Bigger breasts no doubt add to sexiness, though if abuse this attribute, you risk looking too promiscuous, especially if they are squeezed together to the point of suffocation. On the other hand, those who have a small bust can have a plunging neckline without looking the least bit provocative. This fact sucks, but it’s true! General tip: Wear something where you’re cleavage is not on the verge of creating a “wardrobe malfunction”. Wardrobe Malfunctions –> not stylish!

– Butt: Never EVER have that butt cleavage (butt crack) show. Say NO to crack, kids!– Legs: Your skirt, dress or shorts should not fall significantly higher than your mid-thigh, but if you have a modest top, go wild.

Utilize the colors that suit you best; that work well with the color of your eyes, skin and hair. Black is your frienemy (friend and enemy). It can make a statement but it can also suppress your potential to shine. Everybody has their own set of optimal color(s) (I’m not talking about neutrals here!). Experiment! I know a lot of people suffer from the dependency of wearing black all the time. I understand that it’s safe and at times it can be a bold statement, but color can achieve boldness like nothing else. Wearing something in your optimal color range can make all the difference. For example: A person can wear the exact same outfit as you, but the look may suit you more just because the colors of the outfit suit your body! Color can be risky and sometimes impractical but it’s fun and always adds personality. I can guarantee that looking “safe” is rarely noticeable, let alone memorable. Let’s be honest here, it’s nice to be noticed on how you look sometimes!

Wear the clothes, don’t let them wear you! You don’t want to just be noticed for your outfit; you want to be noticed for how amazing you look in your outfit.Basically, you don’t want your clothes to overpower you. You have to OWN YOUR LOOK! Your clothes should not surpass your comfort threshold. No one wants to look like they’re dying in their outfit. As much as you want to dress to impress, the person you should always impress is yourself and that’s not likely going to happen if you are masochistic with your outfits. The right level of confidence sells, so make sure that bystanders can see and feel the confidence ooze from your face and your walk.

Never force it.

An item of clothing or a particular accessory may be beautiful on its own, but it may not always be suitable with the overall look you are trying to achieve. If you are struggling to fit in a piece – that is your gut telling you that it’s just not going to work.

This outfit, although AMAZING editorial-wise, is not necessarily something easy to wear everyday. Each piece looks great on its own, but all together at once? Not so much.
Photo Credit: V Magazine

Your whole look should be cohesive. It should make sense and have a sense of flow, like a story! One easy way to accomplish this is to match colors.

Sometimes the best approach is to choose your key piece, and then work around that. You can be easily overwhelmed with the amount of stuff you have in your closet. Being organized with your ideas simplifies the task altogether. Start with your master piece, the piece that would be the focal point of your outfit and then concentrate on the details of it. You can then find things that compliment the details of your piece, like making a particular color or pattern stand out. Find accessories that fit the theme of your key piece: the colors, the image (casual vs. dressy), the overall structure of your outfit, etc… This step by step approach should lead to a cohesive outfit. Edit if needed, by swapping or removing things.

Only wear authentic items.

Never look at, touch or smell a designer knock-off, let alone wear one. You’re better than that.(Obviously, if you are not one to indulge in designer labels, then this rule would not apply to you, except in the case where people one day decide to manufacture knockoffs of mall brands like H&M. In that case, please please purchase genuine H&M.)
This is my biggest pet peeve and this usually pertains to designer accessories. I just don’t see the point. It’s a desperate and sad attempt to be “stylish”. If you can’t afford it, don’t pretend like you can. Seriously, don’t feel bad that you can’t afford a 2000$ handbag. A stylish person is not defined by how much they spend on their wardrobe. If you wear a designer knock-off, you implicate that you aren’t stylish enough to find something similar yet affordable. You also implicate that you yourself are “fake” like the knock-off you purchased. Because believe it or not, most people buy knockoffs to pass it off like they own the real thing (*pause to gasp at the shock of that statement*)…That’s not exactly the vibe you want to give off, right? Instead, opt for affordable designer-inspired alternatives. It’s better to own a “no-name” brand than to own designer knock-off.

Balance.

Balance out what you expose.
To put it plainly – don’t look sleazy. Flaunt your assets, but if your overall image is too inviting, you will come off self-conscious instead of stylish. Be classy, not trashy. Here at Snob Affair, we like to emphasize that sexiness is not directly proportional to how much skin you show. Sexiness is about making your best features stick out, without literally sticking out (because, ew.) and it is about the confidence that you exude.

Balance out unwanted features.Style with clothes that accentuate your best features and that counterbalance your less than desirable ones, making them less apparent.
Ex: If you would like to counterbalance a long torso, wear a high-waisted skirt to accentuate the length of your legs.

Balance out your outfit’s silhouette.Often times, but not in all cases, a fairly balanced silhouette is usually the goal when assembling an outfit because it is timelessly flattering. Consider having a mix of Flowy VS. Structured, Fitted VS. Loose, Embellished VS. Plain.

Photo Credit: Style.com

Balance out your color palette.Generally, pairing a neutral color with a vibrant color or pairing a pattern with a color that brings out the pattern’s subtle colors, complements your outfit’s palette. Contrarily, a monochromatic color scheme can look great when done right. Having more than 2-3 patterns and/or vibrant-colored (neutrals don’t count) items of clothing in a single outfit can look amazing on the runway, but on the streets, it can be an overkill. The eyes wouldn’t know where to look! If you start turning heads, it’s most probably not for the right reasons.

That concludes the SNOB Styling Laws!

Your style should define who you are, visually. (Like I couldn’t say anything more cliché). It’s cool to be known or identified by your signature looks! Keep in mind first and foremost that you style yourself FOR yourself and not so much so that others will notice you (but that can very well be a reason too). Why should you settle for anything less than you deserve – a polished you! It’s only natural that looking great makes you feel great, a natural confidence booster.

“Create your own style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.”

9 Comments

nay_sayer69Aug 11, 2012 @ 20:06

Great article, but I have a slight problem with the “Only wear authentic items” point. A lot of people have a tight budget and can’t afford something like a $2000 dollar bag! Sure, I don’t advocate buying items that have a fake Chanel symbol all over it but I also don’t advocate frivolous spending when it is much more financially practical to buy a reasonably priced non-designer piece.
Just my two cents, if anyone feels like buying a $700 dollar Coach wallet, go ahead.

That was the point made in the article – don’t buy designer if you can’t afford it, or don’t want to spend that much. If you want to buy designer, then don’t settle for a fake and save up like a responsible person. The article doesn’t say that you must buy designer at all.